What Keeps Us Close
by runningthroughtheroses
Summary: Hayden Parker was the sixth member of Alison's group, until a secret tore their friendship apart. A year later, when Ali's body is discovered, Hayden is a prime suspect in her murder. And right when she was beginning to think that her secrets would stay hidden, she is dragged right into A's game.
1. Chapter 1

**This idea popped into my head a few days ago and I haven't been able to get it out, so here we go. I'll try and balance when I update this with when I do "Sister, Sister," although that story will probably be more frequent since a lot of it is already written. Hope you guys enjoy - please review to let me know what you think!**

 **Oh, and as for the finale, I was pretty...underwhelmed. For both this story and my other one, I will most likely be changing some things so that they, you know, actually make sense.**

Chapter 1

Being friends with Alison DiLaurentis is like being on top of the world.

She makes you feel like you can do anything, like when she's by your side, you can get away with whatever you want. She's the sort of person who has power, even at fifteen years old. And she knows it.

Back before Alison, I was nobody. I was the girl who sat in the back of the class and didn't talk to anyone, who got average grades and was an average field hockey player, who had a few casual friends but no real group to call my own.

Everything changed the summer before freshman year. I was at a rummage sale at the church, picking through clothes and holding up a teal blouse, when I heard a voice behind me.

"Oh, honey. That is _really_ not your color."  
I recognized her voice before I even had to turn around. Alison stood behind me, wearing a cute dress and actual heels even though it was a Saturday afternoon, her arms crossed and a pair of sunglasses on her head.

I glanced behind me, positive that she couldn't have been talking to me. I'd been in the same class with Alison for years, and the last time she acknowledged my existence was back in third grade.

But she raised her eyebrows, walking over and taking the shirt out of my hands. "I'm doing you a favor," she said, tossing it back onto the pile and beginning to search through it. "That color, with your hair? I don't think so."

I frowned, picking at a strand of my dark red hair. I didn't think it would look so bad, but I knew better than to argue. After all, I was wearing yoga pants and a plain green crop top. What did I know about fashion?

Alison pulled a pink tank top out of the pile and held it up, smiling. "Now _this_ is more like it." She handed it to me, practically forcing it into my hand. "Get it. Seriously."

I finally managed to regain the function to speak. "Um. Thanks."

She turned slightly away, but stopped before taking a step. "You're Hayden, right?" I nodded, and she smiled again. "I'm Alison."

From that day on, I was officially part of her group, which then consisted of her, Spencer Hastings, and Emily Fields. Aria Montgomery joined a few days after me, and Hanna Marin about a week later. I hadn't realized it at the time, but Alison had built the perfect group.

The next year was the best of my life. Somehow Alison got us all fake IDs, and we spent freshman year ditching kiddie parties for frat parties, switching out Coca Cola for beer, and sneaking into our rooms hours past curfew.

Suddenly I was waking up half an hour earlier to do my makeup before school. Clothes became very important, at around the same time that boys did.

I was one of the most popular girls in school.

Now don't get me wrong. I saw how Alison treated people. Every time she called little Mona a "loser" or referred to poor Lucas as "Hermie," I had to bite my tongue. At first it was easy not to call her out on it. As long as I wasn't the target of her abuse, life was good.

But after a while, it wasn't so easy. I found myself rolling my eyes behind Alison's back, trying to stop her from berating our classmates. She clearly didn't like it, but as long as Spencer called her out along with me, I thought I was safe. I thought my place in our group was secure.

Until she found out my secret.

Alison had secrets on everyone. That was common knowledge. Alison learned our secrets and held them over our heads, threatening to tell anyone and everyone at any moment. For all of freshman year, I had no secrets. Aside from stunts I pulled with Alison at my side, my life was boring. There was nothing for her to find out.

But then, at the end of that summer, something happened. Something that made Alison so angry, it wasn't enough just to hold it over my head.

I was out of the group.

And it didn't happen slowly, either. The day after she found out, she invited the others to her house and made sure that I found out about it. And when she scheduled the annual big Labor Day sleepover, I was not invited.

I told myself that I didn't care, that there were a million other things to do that night besides sleep over in Spencer's stupid barn.

And yet, here I am.

I lean against the side of the barn, squeezing my eyes shut and trying to force back tears. I feel desperate and crazy, creeping around out here when it's starting to get dark. But I can't help it. Those girls were my friends for so long, and they dumped me, just because Alison told them to.

I squat down and peer in the window, watching Alison hand Aria a drink. I'm not even sure what I'm doing here. On my way over, I decided I would just barge in and hope for the best. Maybe they'd even ask me to join them.

But now that I'm here, with this possibility right in front of me, my courage has disappeared. It's bad enough that I've been cast out of the group, right before the start of the school year. I don't even want to think about what she'll do if I ruin her perfect sleepover.

I take a deep breath and move away from the window, trying to gather any bravery that I have left. I walk around the side of the barn and put my hand on the door handle.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to Abi117 and Delfros Dress for the reviews, as well as everyone who favorited and followed. I actually considered making Hayden actually a part of the A-team, but hmm...you guys are giving me some ideas for the future.**

 **But as for this chapter, Hayden is reunited with her old friends on the first day of school, and a disturbing discovery is made. Please let me know what you think!**

Chapter 2

 _One year later._

I take a deep breath and climb out of my car, pulling the elastic out of my hair. It's always a weird feeling for me, coming back to Rosewood after being away over the summer. There's always new people, new relationships, and new drama that I don't know about.

Sometimes I wish that my parents would let me stay home instead of sending me off to my grandparents' house in Connecticut. But usually not. Because really, when I think about it, the farther away from Rosewood I am, the better.

The only really bad part about being away for three months is that another thing I miss out on are the new styles. It seems like, this year, leopard print and neon high heels have become the newest trend. I feel pretty out of place in my sky blue tank top and white flats.

But I force down the feelings of insecurity and start for the front doors. This is my junior year. I am officially an upperclassman. I have to make the most of it.

As I walk through the main hallway, trying to figure out where my new locker is, I pass a bulletin board. One faded, yellowed piece of paper catches my eye, and even though I know what it is without looking, my head turns.

The picture of Alison, still looking beautiful despite the fade, stares back at me. "Missing," the poster declares in large print. "Alison DiLaurentis. Would now be 16."

I stop in front of it, unaware that I'm staring until a voice speaks from behind me. "Hayden?"

I turn, smiling as Emily Fields walks up to me, her hair tied back in a ponytail and her bag slung over her shoulder. "Hey," I respond, grinning.

Out of all of the girls, Emily is who I'm probably closest to, even though she had taken Alison's side immediately after I was cast out of the group. But that was just who Emily was. Fiercely loyal.

But even so, I can't exactly say that we're friends now. Even if we are friendly.

The smile slips off of her face when she realizes what I'm looking at. "I can't believe it's been a year," she says softly.

I wince, forcing my eyes away from the poster. "I know." Even as I try to resist, I can't help saying, "Do you think that's what she really looks like now?" I am referring to the picture on the poster, which is an age progression.

Emily looks a little uncomfortable. "She's dead, Hayden. We all know that."

I shake my head, turning away from the bulletin board to face her. "I guess. I mean, what else could have happened that night?"

"I should go," Emily says instead of answering. "I should go find Aria, see if she knows where she's going."

This is news to me. "Aria's back from Iceland?"  
"She got back yesterday," Emily tells me, then heads off in the opposite direction, waving. "I'll see you later."

"Bye," I call, then consult my class schedule again and set off, finally locating my locker and piling my new notebooks and binders inside. Once I check to make sure it's locked behind me, I head into my first period English class, happy to spot both Emily and Aria sitting near the back.

I walk over to join them, my eyes sweeping across the room as I go. There's Spencer, looking just as put together as usual in the very first row, her pencils and notebooks already neatly organized on her desk. Hanna and Mona, the "it girls" since last year, sit a few seats away. I can't help but stare at Hanna for a moment, in awe that over the past year, she was able to transform herself from Alison's chubby, insecure sidekick into one of the queen bees of Rosewood.

Both girls smile faintly at me as I pass them, heading down the aisle and taking a seat in front of Aria. "Hey," I say to her, smiling. "I didn't know you were back."  
"Hey!" she says warmly, reaching out and giving me a one-armed hug. I am pleased to see that she no longer has the hot pink stripes in her hair, as she did when her family first moved to Iceland, just a month after the start of sophomore year. Her outfit, however, is just as artsy and unpredictable as I remember.

She glances over at Emily, then back to me. "Emily told me you guys aren't that close anymore?"

I raise my eyebrows, assuming she is just talking about Emily and myself, until she gestures to the front of the room, where Hanna and Spencer sit, a few desks apart from each other. I shake my head, casting my eyes downward. "Not really. I mean, we all get along, but…"

"It's not the same without Alison," Emily fills in, and I nod.

Aria smiles bitterly. "Is anything the same without Alison?"

Before we can respond, the new English teacher walks in, turning away from us to write his name, Mr. Fitz, on the blackboard. Apparently he's new, after old Mrs. Billings retired last year. Even from the back, I can tell that he's young…and cute.

He turns, opening his mouth to speak, but freezes with a mutter of, "Holy crap." My eyes widen. He's staring right behind me, at Aria. I whirl around, along with everyone else in the class, giving her a questioning look. But she's staring right back at him, looking horrified.

I turn back around just as I hear her phone buzz. "Uh," the teacher mumbles, clearly flustered, "I'm Mr. Fitz. Your new English teacher."

I try to glance behind me inconspicuously. Aria is staring down at her lap, clearly reading a text message. Her face is bright red.

Though most of the class seems to have recovered from whatever just happened, I can't get it out of my mind for the rest of class. It's pretty obvious that this wasn't Aria's first time meeting our new teacher.

I can't let myself think any harder about it without getting nauseous.

…

A few days later, I am running several blocks away from my house when the sound of the music blaring in my ears suddenly changes. I stop abruptly, wincing and taking out my ear buds.

Sirens are blaring pretty close by.

I turn around just in time to see an ambulance zoom around the corner…onto Spencer's street. I feel my eyes grow wide, and I take off after it, even though I know that the possibility of Spencer actually being hurt is very slim.

As soon as I turn onto the street, I have to squint. At least two ambulances, as well as what seems like every police car in Rosewood, are concentrated in front of one particular house. It's not until I'm halfway down the block that I realize just what house the commotion is coming from.

Alison's.

Actually, what used to be Alison's. A new family lives there now, with a girl in my grade, Maya St. Germain. I've only talked to her a few times, through Emily, but my heart still sinks a little as I sprint down the sidewalk.

The first person I see is Spencer, standing on the sidewalk in front of her own house, next door. I race up to her and put my hand on her arm. "What's going on?" I ask, just as I catch sight of a gurney being pushed toward a vehicle marked "coroner." It's carrying a body bag.

Spencer turns, tears glistening in her eyes. "They found Alison's body," she whispers.

Time seems to stop moving for a moment. I stare as the body bag is loaded into the back of the van. Slowly, the commotion begins to die down.

I knew that she was dead. I've known that since practically the day she went missing. There's just no other rational explanation.

And yet…this feels different, somehow. Like we finally have closure, but in the worst way possible. I feel sick as I remember my last contact with Alison. If only I had known then what I do now.

A dark car pulls up nearby, and Aria jumps out, running over to us. "I heard the cops took Hanna to the police station today," she says quietly, grabbing both of us by the arms.

Spencer and I turn to look at her in unison. I feel my heart begin to sink all over again. "She'd never talk about – " Spencer begins, but a voice cuts her off.

"The Jenna Thing?" I turn, watching Hanna approach from behind us. She raises her eyebrows, crossing her arms and coming to stand beside me. "We made a promise."

I shake my head, forcing the horrible memory out of my mind. I can only deal with one tragedy at a time. There's no room in my brain right now to worry about the biggest regret of my life.

Well. _One_ of the biggest regrets of my life.

…

Alison's funeral is that weekend. They're trying to get it over with quickly. I can't say I blame them. Her poor parents have had to go through this once, already. I don't think I can imagine how they must be feeling right now.

I straighten my black dress, evaluating myself in my bedroom mirror. I haven't been to a funeral since I was five. This is the only black dress I own, and even though it's a little tight and a little short, it'll have to do.

Even so, I try my best to pull it up to cover more of my chest as I grab my purse. Practically everyone in Rosewood is going to be at the service. I really don't need to give the entire town another thing to talk about.

I'm just about to drop my phone into my purse when it chimes with a new text. Probably one of the girls, I figure, sitting down on the edge of my bed to read it. We're all planning on meeting at the church, but maybe someone is getting anxious.

But the number that appears on the screen isn't shown, labeled only as "Unknown." I frown curiously, opening the message.

 _Careful, Hayden! Remember what happened the last time you showed some skin? You don't want history to repeat itself…or maybe you do? –A_


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to Guest, Delfos Dress, Abi117, and Pinkpoodle8 for the reviews. I appreciate the feedback, but I do have to say, I hadn't really planned on Hayden and "A" actually having any sort of romance...I do have some other plans, though, as far as Hayden and the "A" team goes. But as for this chapter, the five girls are reunited as disturbing revelations come to light at Alison's funeral. Please read and review!**

Chapter 3

I stare at the message from "A" all the way to the church. It's only when I've actually memorized the whole thing that I'm finally able to breathe normally again, but I still feel like I'm going to be sick.

The only person who knows about my secret is…Alison. And she's _dead._ I'm pretty sure ghosts don't have access to cell phones.

She must have told someone, I realize, anger beginning to swell in my chest. She swore that she would keep my secret, even after we fought relentlessly about it. Even after she kicked me out of the group. She said that she didn't need _her_ family's reputation to be ruined, even if she didn't care about mine.

But everyone knows that Alison loved nothing more than using our own secrets against us. She was brilliant at it, always finding out the very thing we didn't want her to and threatening to reveal it unless we did her bidding. Maybe she got fed up with me, once we were no longer friends, and spilled the beans to someone.

I take deep breaths, alternating between staring at my phone and closing my eyes. "Hayden," my mother says from behind the wheel, as we pull into the parking lot of the church. "You're not going to be able to use your phone during the service."

"I know, Mom," I groan, dropping it into my purse and zipping it closed for good measure. She eyes my dress as we start up the steps to the chapel. "It's the only one I have," I snap before she can say anything.

"Hmm. We'll have to fix that," my mother says, and I scowl. Even though I know exactly how inappropriate my dress is, I still don't like her saying it.

I spot my old friends, all sitting in the very front row, and wave to them. "Can I go sit with my friends?" I ask my mom.

She frowns at me, and I prepare myself for a "no," but then she follows my gaze and her face softens. "Oh. Of course. I'll meet you outside after the service."

I smile and head down the aisle. My mother never understood why I suddenly stopped being friends with Alison and the rest of the group that summer, and it wasn't like I could have told her the truth. I don't remember what lie I made up to cover for it, but apparently she still hasn't gotten over it.

I squeeze into the very end of the pew, beside Aria. "Hey," I say, trying to keep the shakiness out of my voice. Maybe tomorrow I'll tell them about the weird, very Alison-like text I got. But right now isn't the time.

"Hey," the others reply, glancing at me gravely.

We sit in silence for a moment, until Emily finally breaks the quiet. "Poor Ali."

Hanna laughs bitterly. "Can you believe what a scene this is?"

"Alison would have loved it," Aria says quietly, and Spencer adds, "Popular in life and death."

I shake my head, lowering my eyes. "Ali knew everyone. But no one really knew her."

I glance down the pew at Emily, who is sitting on the opposite end. She looks like she is barely holding herself together. "Em," I say quietly. "Are you okay?"

"Here," Hanna chimes in, reaching into her purse and pulling out a flask. My eyes widen as she tries to hand it to Emily.

"No thanks. I don't – "

"I think today you do," Hanna insists.

I glance around, concerned. "Put that away, you guys!"

Aria's phone buzzes before Emily can make up her mind, and I'm not the only one who jumps. "Anyone we know?" Hanna asks, and I peer around Aria at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Just my mom," Aria says slowly, looking at each of us in turn and seeming to realize something. "Emily and I aren't the only ones who got messages from 'A,' are we?"  
A buzzing fills my ears. "A" is legit? I guess I figured it was just some prank, something to freak me out. I would have never guessed that my friends were getting them, too. Spencer and Hanna nod, looking freaked out, and I chime in, "I just got one. Right before I came here."

Before anyone can respond, a murmur spreads through the chapel. "What's going on?" I ask, as Spencer turns around to look.

Her face goes pale white. "Oh my God."

We all whirl around, and the buzzing in my ears turns to a roar. My vision goes a little fuzzy, but I can still clearly see Jenna Marshall walking slowly down the aisle, on the arm of her stepbrother, Toby. Her hair is longer and darker than I remember, but other than that, it's hard to see what she really looks like, because her eyes are hidden behind large, dark sunglasses.

Because Jenna is blind.

I grab onto Aria's wrist, unable to mask my horror. "It's Jenna," Spencer whispers as Toby leads Jenna into a pew. They sit, and he glances over, his gaze settling on us in a look of pure disgust.

I am the first to turn away. I can't handle looking any longer. The memory of that horrible night threatens to flood back into my mind, but I take a deep breath, pushing it out. I can't think about that right now, not here. I look at Aria instead, sure that my expression must match her guilty one.

"Did you hear that Jenna Marshall was here?" a new voice speaks, as Mrs. DiLaurentis squeezes into the pew beside me. "I didn't realize she and Ali were friends."

Spencer leans forward, glancing at all of us. "They weren't."

I squeeze my eyes closed, concentrating on calming down as the minister walks up to the podium and begins the service. "The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away…"

…

An hour later, I walk out of the church, my arms linked through Spencer and Emily's. Once we are outside and away from the service, the casket, and Jenna, I pull away and reach up to try and wipe the dried tears off of my cheeks. I haven't cried over Alison since the early weeks after her disappearance. Even when her body was discovered, I couldn't find any tears, as hard as I tried. I guess I'd always known that she's dead.

I turn to the other girls, opening my mouth to speak when a male voice cuts me off. "Emily, Spencer, Aria, Hanna, and Hayden." I turn, spotting a police officer walk up to us. Beside me, I feel Hanna stiffen.

"Do we know you?" Spencer asks, as sharp as ever. That's what I've always liked about Spencer – she doesn't give in without a fight, to anything.

The officer reaches into the pocket of his shirt, but all I can focus on is the gun strapped to his holster. I flinch. "I'm Officer Wilden. I understand you were all good friends with the victim."

"We were," Aria and I say in unison. I reach out and grab her hand, suddenly nervous.

Wilden's eyes search each of us individually. "I'm going to need to talk with each of you."

Spencer shakes her head, staring at him. "We talked to the police when Alison went missing."

The officer isn't fazed. "And I intend to go over every one of your statements. This is no longer a missing persons investigation. It's a murder." He pauses, really letting that sink in. It works. "And rest assured, I will find out what happened that summer."

He walks off, and we immediately turn to each other, looks of horror crossing all of our faces. I turn, watching Jenna walk slowly down the stairs, a walking stick in front of her. "Oh my God, you guys," I whisper as she climbs into a car parked along the street. Its windows are tinted too dark to tell who the driver is.

Aria seems to understand my thought process. "Do you think he – "

"No," Spencer says quickly, but she sounds pretty unsure.

"How could he?" Hanna adds.

"No one saw us that night, right?" I insist, glancing over at Wilden and catching his gaze. He's staring at us, but finally moves away.

It's my phone that goes off first, but the others' soon follow. We all jump, and glance at each other before reaching into our respective purses to pull out our phones. I don't even want to read the text. I'm pretty positive that I know who it's going to be from.

But I look down at the screen anyway, and feel my heart sink into my stomach. "You guys – "

"Oh my God – "

"It's from – "

"I got one, too."

It's Spencer who finally takes it upon herself to read the text out loud. " 'I'm still here, bitches.'"

I can't help myself. I chime in to recite with her, and so do the others. " 'And I know everything. –A.'"


	4. Chapter 4

**Well...no reviews on the last chapter, which was a little surprising and very disappointing. But I figured I'd update anyway. If I don't get some feedback on this chapter, though, I probably won't be putting up another update in a while. So please let me know what you think! In this chapter, Hayden recounts the terrible night of The Jenna Thing.**

Chapter 4

I can't fall asleep that night.

Rolling over, I raise my head to look at the digital clock beside my bed. 1:45. I've been trying to sleep for over two hours, but I feel more than just awake. I feel almost adrenalized.

I know that I should be thinking about Alison's funeral. Or just Alison in general. I'm sure the other girls are lying awake, too, remembering the service, the night she went missing, and of course that awful text from "A."

I keep trying to force myself to focus on that text. I memorized it hours ago, when I couldn't stop staring down at my phone. But as much as I try, all I can think about is Jenna.

When she was away at a school for the visually impaired, it was easy to forget about the accident, forget about what we did. Almost like it never really happened…like she didn't even exist.

But she's back…back in Rosewood, probably back in school. The thought of seeing Jenna every day makes my stomach constrict. All at once, the memory of that horrible night floods back to me, and this time, I don't try and push it out.

…

 _It was the Fourth of July before sophomore year, just a few weeks before Alison freaked and kicked me out of the group, but of course, I didn't know it then. We were in Emily's room, swapping clothes and trying to figure out who looked best in what._

 _"_ _Ali, try this," I yelled above the thumping music, tossing her a pink ruffled shirt._

 _I pulled off the blue tank top I was wearing and traded it with the green top that Alison had just taken off, yanking it on over my bra. Glancing at myself in the mirror, I noticed Hanna standing the farthest away, back near Emily's bed, the only one of us not whipping through clothes._

 _I winced, averting my gaze before she noticed. It was no secret that Hanna was uncomfortable with her body…thanks to Alison more than anything. It made me uncomfortable, every time Ali remarked on the cookie in Hanna's hand or on one of her baggy t-shirts, but I never commented. No one did. We all knew better._

 _Alison turned around, pulling her hair out from under the pink shirt, and we all grinned at her, compliments spilling out of our mouths, as usual. Alison smiled back, turning around to admire herself in the mirror, but suddenly rushed toward the window, yelling out, "I can see you!" She threw aside the curtain, glaring out into the dark. "Oh my God, I can't believe it."_

 _I exchanged a glance with Spencer, rushing over to look out as well. "What is it, Ali?" Emily asked meekly. "What did you see?"_

 _"_ _He was in that tree, spying on us," Alison snarled, fury written all over her face. I brushed past her and peered out the window, seeing nothing but darkness. "I am so creeped out!"_

 _"_ _I don't see anything," I said, a chill shooting up my spine nonetheless. I pushed the curtain back in place and turned around, folding my arms._

 _"_ _Who was it?" Spencer asked nervously._

 _Alison shook her head in disgust. "It was that perv, Toby Cavanaugh."_

 _Aria rubbed her bare arms, looking unsure. "Are you sure?"  
"Yes, Aria. He was right there!" Ali insisted, glancing back at the tree branches outside the window. They were shaking a little, but I attributed that to the slight breeze._

 _But it wouldn't surprise me if Toby really had been out there. I had only seen him a few times, around school, but he had always freaked me out, constantly brooding and skulking around with his hair in his eyes, talking to no one but his stepsister, Jenna, who was in our grade._

 _Alison gave an exaggerated shiver, looking around at all of us. "I bet he saw all of us. Naked."_

 _Naturally, it was Hanna that looked the most skeeved out by this, but I grimaced as well. I had been wearing just my bra only moments ago. Had Toby really seen that? "What should we do?" I asked, my brow creasing in worry._

 _"_ _We should tell someone," Aria spoke up, reaching over to pull the curtains closed._

 _"_ _We could," Ali agreed, but I recognized the slight smirk that was beginning to spread across her face. Alison had an idea. And I knew already that I wasn't going to like it. "But I've got a better idea."_

 _Ten minutes later, I could feel my stomach twisting with nerves as we trooped quietly through Emily's yard and around the bushes leading to the Cavanaugh's garage. Alison had an idea, all right. I could feel my stomach twist with worry, but something else, as well._

 _I was actually a little excited about this, as crazy as it was. The plan was to throw a stink bomb into the garage, where Toby's little hideout was. It wouldn't hurt him, after all. It would just scare him into never peeping in on us again._

 _I had always been into practical jokes. It was fun to leap out from behind a door and watch someone scream, and then burst into laughter. Putting a fake ice cube with a bug inside never failed to give me a thrill. And this was just the kind of joke that I loved._

 _As we neared the garage door, Alison pulled a firecracker from her pocket, putting her finger to her lips. I glanced back at the others. Aside from Ali and me, no one looked very enthusiastic about this plan. But I didn't understand their hesitation. It wasn't like anyone was going to get hurt._

 _"_ _Are we sure he's not in there?" Aria asked, jogging to catch up._

 _Alison peered over at the dark garage. "He's not, okay?" she snapped. "You've got the lighter, right, Spence?"_

 _Spencer pulled it out, but hesitated, looking uncertain. "Wait a second," Emily said quietly, wrapping her arms around herself._

 _I turned, and so did Alison, rolling her eyes in obvious irritation. "What, Emily?"_

 _"_ _I don't want to do this." There was a clear tremble in her voice._

 _"_ _Fine," Ali snapped. "Go back. You're on your own."_

 _Emily still looked unsure, so I grabbed her arm, squeezing comfortingly. "It's fine. It's not like anyone's gonna get hurt, right?"_

 _Ali smiled thinly at me. "See? Hayden gets it."_

 _But that didn't seem to convince anyone. "Maybe Emily's right," Aria spoke up, nearly whispering. "If we tell the police, they'll bring him in. They'll take care of it."_

 _"_ _What's the fun in that?" Ali asked, once again seeming, in that moment, years older than the rest of us. She turned fully toward us and put her hands on her hips. "Toby Cavanaugh is a freak, and we need to teach him a lesson. If he thinks he can come and spy on us while we're in your bedroom, Emily, he needs to know that his 'domain' is no longer a safe little hideout." She looked over at the garage, shivering again. "Who knows what he does in there all day, that freak."_

 _We'd been out there for a good few minutes at this point, and I could feel myself getting nervous. "Come on," I urged, gesturing for Ali to hurry. "We need to do this now."_

 _Spencer put her hand out, stopping me. "Are you sure it was Toby?"_

 _Alison looked just about at the end of her rope. "Yes. And it's a stink bomb, for God's sake. We're not nuking the place. Now let's do it."_

 _She began to creep closer to the garage, finally ready to put the plan into action, and I followed close on her heels, glancing back to make sure the others were coming. I smiled a little as Alison silently cracked open the door and tossed in the lit firecracker._

 _I expected her to pull back immediately, but she continued to peer into the garage. Alarmed, I grabbed her arm, and she turned back, her face emotionless. "Let's get out of here."_

 _We all took off running without another word. My adrenaline was pumping, and I grinned despite myself as we dashed across the driveway._

 _And then we heard it. The explosion._

 _I stopped so quickly that I nearly toppled over, my hand snaking around Aria's arm to keep from falling. We spun around, my grin fading into a look of terror, as the garage erupted, flames shooting through the window. I couldn't be sure, but I thought I heard a scream pierce through the darkness._

…

My eyes pop open, my breathing coming fast and hard. I press my hand to my chest, sitting up and forcing myself to take deep breaths.

I haven't let myself think about that night in a long time. Aside from what I did to get kicked out of Alison's good favors, it's the biggest regret of my life. Maybe even bigger.

Jenna had been in the garage that night, and so had Toby. He had carried her out of the garage, her hands pressed tightly to her eyes as she was taken away in an ambulance, not to be seen until she returned several weeks later, with dark sunglasses over her eyes and a German Shepherd guide dog at her side.

We blinded Jenna Marshall.


End file.
